The Chaos Factor
by Lady Knight3
Summary: ...and Harry thought Voldemort was a problem. Dumbledore calls in a favor from an eccentric group of witches. These four leave chaos & destruction in their wake...Will Hogwarts Survive? OotP rewrite. Now with shorter Title! PLEASE READ & REVIEW!
1. Past Prologue

**Lady Knight3's A/N:** Hi! This is only my second story on fanfic.net and my very 1st Harry Potter fic. So I'd really like nice reviews, with constructive criticism. Flames will be used to heat my dorm room this winter. As always, Harry Potter and Co. is the property of J.K. Rowling and I'm making no money off of them. If you want to sue me and inherit my student loans, more power to ya.

~*Prologue*~

            The school was under attack. He moved swiftly through the corridors, his robes swishing behind him like a serpent's tail, side stepping rubble and the bodies of students that lay strewn in the halls. None of them was _her_ body, that's all that should matter-- yet he couldn't help but feel…guilt? All this was his fault.  If he hadn't given in to petty jealousies and prejudices, he'd have been here to help them protect the students and the school-- their dream.

He moved carefully, stealthily towards his goal. The others were already in position, unaware that he had returned to complete the circle and release the power hidden in Hogwarts. The power to save it, them, _her_, was almost in his grasp. It was an untested spell, but if- no -_when_ it worked…. Approaching the concealed door he hissed the words to open it and step into the small chamber as the door resealed itself. In the middle of the room stood a pedestal, made of green marble. Placing his hand atop the pedestal, he closed his eyes to align his energy with that of the others. A small smirk passed over his lips as he felt their shock at recognition. Fools. His heart was not that cold. Still smirking he joined with them in the chant.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            It worked! The school, the students, his friends, _she_, was safe. No, not safe. Doomed. It was too much; the spell required too much energy it was locking a couple of them in! It was locking _her_ in! No this cannot be, he wouldn't allow it. _Let it have me, let me atone for my sins…_Slowly he felt the others melt away then there was nothing but eternal sleep…. eternal darkness. _ Forgive me…my…love…_

**                                 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**Lady Knight3:** Well that's it for now, hopefully I'll have the 1st chapter up in a day or so (depending on homework, inspiration and reviews) I'd like to issue a little challenge to you readers, if you can tell me who this is (notice I don't mention any names) and are one of the first (picks random number out of her head) 5 people to correctly get it, you'll make a brief cameo appearance later in the story. PLEASE EMAIL ME the answers. ONLY emails will be considered. Email me at LadySolknight@aol.com. 


	2. Ch 1 Bill Weasley has left the Building

Disclaimer:  Lady Knight3: Joining me for the disclaimer is Lady Sei! Take it away.

Lady Sei: *Sigh* Just because YOU don't say it Lady Knight, doesn't mean it's not true.  Having me give the disclaimer just means neither of us own Harry Potter or any other characters belonging to the world J.K.R. has created – no matter how much we'd like to kidnap certain ones…

Lady Knight3: *coughs* um….yeah. Anyhow, I'd like to thank Corazon for my first review. I hope you like the first chapter and everyone should read her stories, they rock!

~*Chapter 1*~

            "What do you mean, 'he transferred back home'?" An irate young woman demanded of Paula Inverse, Gringott's Site Forewitch and Acting Chief Curse-Breaker. The petite blond eyed the woman who gave her and the rest of the curse-breakers a run for their money on a daily basis.

            "I meant exactly what I said, Juline. Bill transferred back to the main office, headquarters owled the paperwork this morning." Paula scowled in annoyance. Bill Weasley was the best damn curse-breaker Gringott's had employed in years and Paula was royally screwed until a replacement was sent. She wished she could hire Juline, there hadn't been anything invented that she and her crew couldn't break or hack (as they called it, must be an American wizard term) into. Paula smiled at the 22 year old with the shoulder length brown hair. Juline didn't strike one as a dangerous type standing only 5'6", but from the rumors around Egypt and from Bill's own testimony, she was a little hellion. Her constant competition with Weasley to break into the tombs first amused the forewitch. No matter what Bill did, she was always five steps ahead of him.

            Paula scowled again. _Damn Cornelius Fudge!_ He and his stupid Ministry caused more problems then they solved. They just _had_ to have a hand in everything, including Gringott's. The wizard bank had taken to plundering…er…_excavating _ancient wizards' tombs for at least a thousand years (possibly longer, but no one wanted to question them too closely).  They'd send in their Curse-Breakers (ancient wizards weren't stupid and had some rather _interesting _wards) and then cart everything out, keeping anything in their interests (treasure) and disposing of the rest of the artifacts (old magical components) to whomever could afford them. Most recently this meant the Ministry of Magic who, even if they managed to figure out the spells, tended to label them as "illegal" or "impossible" (when they couldn't figure out the spells) and lock them up in one of the departments.

            Juline was an American witch _(Sorceress, Damnit!)_ from the U.S. and what some might call a thief, she preferred 'tomb raider' but there probably wasn't much of a difference, at least now. The way things had worked before the Ministry's interest in Egypt was that private individuals and sometimes Gringott's would contract tomb raiders to break into temples or tombs and retrieve the contents.   Then came the Ministry's decree that only "sanctified" Ministry curse-breakers could be employed by anyone. Most of the tomb raiders had either gone to the Ministry for jobs or quit the field entirely. But there were a few like Juline and her gang (consisting of her two younger sisters and her best friend) who were stubborn beyond belief and continued as before. 

            "Did any of that paperwork say why Bill suddenly decided to stay in England?"

            Paula frowned, trying to remember. "Something about a family emergency…I think." Juline looked thoughtful for a moment then shrugged.

            "I guess it doesn't matter, we already cleaned out everything we wanted. Take care, Paula. See ya in a week or so." Juline turned from the forewitch and walked through the arch of a nearby Egyptian temple…. into a modern (if not excessively large) kitchen. "I'm back," she announced to the brown haired young woman seated at the table.

            "Really? That was fast, how's Weasley?" Chris asked looking up from the muggle crossword puzzle she was working on. "What's a six letter word for a stool pigeon that begins with 'S'?

            "Snitch. And Bill transferred back home." Juline replied as she slid into the chair across from the witch, who'd been her best friend and partner for as long as she could remember. Opening her can of Coke she briefly studied her friend. Her dark brown hair was done up in a high ponytail so the ends brushed the collar of her sky blue t-shirt. Matching blue eyes twinkled from behind thin, nearly invisible wire-frame glasses. Across the front of her t-shirt silver calligraphy spelled out the word "princess". Knowing Chris as well as she did, Juline assumed her petite friend would be clad in her customary blue jeans and stocking feet. At just over 5'2", most people mistook the 23 year old for a teenager and dismissed her as non-threatening. Those people didn't usually last too long in her company. They ended up either lambasted by her cutting wit, or beat to a pulp by her martial arts skills. Juline gave a tiny smirk as she counted down the seconds. '3… 2… 1…'

            "He what?!?!" The shorter girl exclaimed, dropping her crossword. Juline shrugged and sipped her pop.

            "It's not like anything else was keeping us in Egypt. Though I know you thought he was sexy, Chris." Juline smirked.

            "Everyone with a pulse thought he was sexy," Chris grumbled. Her eyes shifted to the letter laying on the table next to her Diet Pepsi. "I hope this is a bloody coincidence," she mumbled, flipping it to Juline. "This came in the owl post; Emily and Rini have already seen it."

            Juline frowned as she caught the letter. "Speaking of, where are my darling siblings?"

            "They thought it might be good to stay away from the fire works…." Chris trailed off as a stream of loud curses ensued.

            "What does that bloody old man want now? Thrice be damned son of a Cornish pixie's…."

            Just then two blond witches entered the kitchen, hands covering their ears.

"Sounds like you showed her Dumbledore's letter."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lady Knight3: See the button. Press the button. Review. Have a Cookie. And I'm still accepting email answers to the prologue challenge. 


	3. Ch 2 Lunch at the Lunatic Cafe

**Lady Knight3:** Here's the next chapter.  Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy with school. And writer's block. *Sighs* Does anyone else ever have the problem where things sound great in your head, but you write it out and it sounds like crap? Bah. Anything you recognize is the property of their respective creators…everything else is mine. Thanks to those who reviewed, cookies to you wonderful people.

~*~*Chapter 2*~*~

_Hello Angels,_

_            It has been several years since we last were in touch.  I hear you are going to be in town for an indeterminate length of time.  Perhaps we should meet to discuss old times and new ventures.  I believe you will find it worth your while to assist me in my current endeavor.  I would enjoy facing my upcoming challenges with the favors of such lovely damsels as you.  I will have our usual table reserved for lunch this Friday.  Don't be late; I have a teatime appointment with one of Mom's relatives to discuss a series of unexplained phenomenon that recently occurred in his inner sanctum.  I look forward to seeing you._

_                                                In friendship,_

_                                                Albus Dumbledore_

_                                                Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry_

            "I don't like it."  Juline sat behind her large desk in the study, regarding her sisters and best friend.

            "You never like it, when Uncle Albus asks for a favor."  Emily, the older of the two blonds, stated matter-o-factly. At 5 feet 8 inches tall and rather curvy, she was Juline's junior by three years. Her hair was a soft blond, very curly and cropped to just below her chin.

            "She doesn't like it because we always end up owing him another favor," replied Rini, Juline's youngest sister. She was also the tallest of the group standing at 5 feet 10 inches with a slender, willowy build. Her long blonde hair was wildly streaked with purple.  "Although I don't think you mind it as much as you claim to."

            Juline sighed, for this was undoubtedly true.  There was something about Albus Dumbledore that made it hard to dislike him.  Even if his requests came at the most inconvenient times, they had never been denied or unsuccessfully completed. 

             Emily and Rini had been very young when they had been introduced to the elderly wizard.  His fondness of sweets had endeared him to the eight and five year olds, and they still called him 'Uncle.'  Juline and Chris, having been slightly older when they first met, were really very fond of him, but that never stopped them from giving him a piece of their minds when they thought he needed to be brought down a peg or two.

            "Well we know the old man's desperate if he's calling _us 'angels.'  Whose bright idea was it to send him those 'Charlie's Angels' DVDs?"  Commented Chris as she reclined in her overstuffed arm chair, legs dangling over the side.  "Anyways, if he is calling in a favor, you three can handle this one.  I've still got some projects to work on."  With that, she swung her legs around and stood.  Exiting the room, she called over her shoulder, "Try to leave some survivors this time."_

            Juline made a face at her friend's retreating form.  "And you try not to blow anything up!"  She yelled.  Flicking her right hand, she conjured a crystal sphere and began twirling and weaving it between her hands.  It was an odd habit, and she'd never encountered another with the ability.  She found it helped her concentrate to make the crystals dance through her fingers… though they did have other uses.

Relaxing as she continued to toy with the ball, Juline came to the conclusion that whatever Dumbledore wanted it was probably best if she went to speak with him alone. The other two would cave too easily and probably come back on a major sugar high. And if there was one thing for certain in this world, it was that sugar and teenage witches don't mix.

"Must you do that?" Emily asked, pulling her short, curly hair into a ponytail. 

"Yes," Juline smirked. "I must. It's fun and it took me three years to learn how to do it with out dropping them all over the place!"

            "Can we get on with this?" Rini asked, interrupting the beginnings of another pointless argument. Juline tossed the crystal high in the air and caught it in her left hand.

            "I've already decided. I'm going by myself, so no whining."

            "Good." Emily and Rini said.

            "What?"

"Well, it'd be nice to see Uncle Albus and all, but I don't feel like going to Great Britain." Rini shrugged. "However…" she began, her eyes taking on a psychotic gleam that could only mean one thing. "…You'd better bring me back some chocolate frogs or you will suffer a slow and painful death." She leaned over Juline till her face inches away.

            Juline pushed her back with her only free hand. "Get away from me, psycho!" She shrieked. Rini laughed as she staggered back.

            "Just remember, _I know what you did last summer!_" She cackled as she left the study.

            "Well, _I still know what you did last summer!_" Juline yelled after her.

            "I will always know what you did two summers ago," came the distant reply. Juline couldn't help laughing.

            Emily rolled her eyes. "And you're supposed to be the oldest," she said as she too stood and made her way to the study door.

            "My sense of humor saves what little sanity I have left."

            Emily smirked, "You were sane at one point?" She quickly closed the door behind her just in time to avoid the crystal ball her sister flung at her. It shattered against the heavy oak door as the remaining occupant of the study began sifting through paperwork.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_________________________________________________________

            Friday began pleasantly enough. Juline received an owl confirming that the shipment of cauldrons she'd been eyeing had been intercepted. Now all that was needed was a safe place to store them until they could be unloaded. Business as usual. Chris was off on one of her little projects. Emily was in her workroom, tinkering with the latest Nimbus model and Rini was out in the yard tending to her pets (Juline privately thought that if she adopted any more animals, they'd be able to open the first magical creatures zoo). Yes, just another day in Ohio. That was until she remembered the little meeting she had. Muttering curses that would make a sailor blush, Juline stalked down the long hall on the second floor to a doorway and walked through.

            Muggle London bustled around her as she stepped out of the alley door. Blending in was easy in her gray hooded sweatshirt and black jogging pants. Unlike most of the wizarding world, American wizards had little trouble fitting in with muggles and didn't have quite as many issues with "mudbloods," since the majority of the American wizards and witches were muggle-born nowadays. As for the purebloods, well there weren't very many left and even fewer in the United States.

            Crossing the street in front of the Leaky Cauldron, Juline continued on for about two blocks. She ignored, for the most part, the sights of London. She'd seen it before and if there were anything particularly interesting, she'd see it on her way back. Turning left brought her to small district of funny little shops and teahouses, both magical and muggle. She stopped as she reached the familiar building of the Lunatic Café. It was a small café, tucked back in the farthest corner of the little district and was owned and run by werewolves. Werewolves also made up most of its' cliental, except for a few brave (or stupid, depending on one's point of view) souls, who dined there just to say that they had.

            Juline was immediately escorted to a table in the very back. Waiting for her was quite possibly one of the most powerful and influential wizards in the entire world. Had this been her first time meeting with him, she might have been in awe that such an unassuming man could literally crackle with power. The first time she had met Albus Dumbledore, she had wondered why no one trembled at the sight of his power; wrapped around him like a mantle and shining so brightly it hurt to look upon him. That was before she realized that no one, even her own sisters, _could_ see the magical auras present around objects and people. They knew he was powerful through his works, but not by simply looking at him. Juline smiled, it was good that she'd learned to control that particular ability otherwise she'd need sunglasses to meet his gaze as he stood to greet her.

            "My dear child, you look more beautiful every time we meet," Albus Dumbledore said, warmly. "Please sit, I was just about to order." He seated himself and gave Juline an appraising look as she opened her menu and browsed the selection. The waiter took their orders and brought drinks. Albus casually sipped his ice tea as he watched Juline accept the glass of Coke and shot of firewhisky she'd ordered.

            "A little early in the day for that, isn't it?"

Juline shrugged. "Something tells me I'm going to want it when we're through here. I'm just preparing ahead of time. All right, Dumbledore. I'm here, let's get down to it. What's so important that you'd mention _MoM_ in one of your owls? (A/N: MoM a.k.a **M**inistry **o**f **M**agic)"

"I'm afraid Voldemort has returned, Juline." Dumbledore began, his voice taking on a grave tone as he told her the events of the past four years. He told her of the Triwizard Tournament and it's grisly end. And he spoke with great affection and pride of Harry Potter, 'The-Boy-Who-Lived.' By the time he finished, Juline wore a grim expression. 

"I had no idea it was that bad, Albus. There's been nothing in the papers back in the States about any of this. Absolutely nothing." She rubbed her forehead in a distracted manner. "That poor kid," she added softly as she downed her shot. She winced as it burned its way down her throat.

Dumbledore sighed, "It is as I feared then. Not only is Fudge controlling the wizarding news in this country but also what goes out to the others. He was not very…receptive to the news of Voldemort's return."

Juline snorted, "I can't say that _I'm_ very receptive to the fact that ol' Moldyfort is back, but I figured it'd happen sooner or later. Son of a bitch."

The waiter came at that moment, interrupting their discussion with their lunch. This gave Juline a moment to collect her thoughts. "While all that is very good to know, I get the feeling that's not the real reason you asked for a meeting. How do "we" fit into all this?"

Albus smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "You do have a way of getting right to the point. Remember the colleague of mine that predicted Voldemort's return? She also stated that he would return _greater and more terrible than ever before._ It is my belief that he will attempt to attack Hogwarts this time. Hogwarts is very old, Juline; some of it's magic is beginning to wear away. I feel it almost daily now. If the school is attacked," he paused and shook his head slowly, "I'm not sure if it would be able survive."

"And this is a major problem since that shmuck will attack when the students are there." Juline propped her chin on her fist and bit her lip as she thought. "Why not just close the school?"

"Hogwarts must remain open."

Juline studied his face, "you've got an way to stop him, don't you?" She observed, shrewdly.

"No. I'm afraid there are some things that even I cannot prevent. He will come and all we can do is try to be prepared. There maybe a way, however, to aid in the defense of Hogwarts. It is mentioned in very briefly in old documents in my office that the Founders of Hogwarts built a weapon for defense of the school in dark times.  All I've been able to find for certain is that it's hidden somewhere in the school itself. I…"

"You want us to find it's hiding place," Juline finished as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

"Exactly."

            "What's in this for us, Dumbledore?" Juline asked with a calculating gleam in her gray-green eyes. She knew if he really had to, he'd use blackmail. That however was usually a last resort. Besides it'd be fun to see what he was willing to offer.

He frowned disapprovingly at her. "You should be aiding us out of love for world peace," he said as he peered at her over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

Juline shrugged, non-fazed. "I should do a lot of things out of love for world peace. If you come up with something worth my time, owl me." Leaving her lunch untouched, she rose and made to leave. He had called her out here he could foot the bill. As she walked from the table, Dumbledore called to her.

"It's a shame you won't come to Hogwarts, I was looking forward to introducing you to Severus."

"And he is?"

"He is the school's Potions' Master, quite possibly one of the finest in all of Great Britain."

Juline froze in her tracks and turned slowly to face the elderly wizard again. "Potions'…Master…" her voice shaking like a drunk who'd just been promised a whole bottle of his favorite booze. Albus hid a smile of triumph and motioned the young woman to sit back down.

She glowered at him as she slid back into her chair. _"Bastard, using a person's obsession against them! That's my job, damn it!" _ Juline thought heatedly as she briefly contemplated blasting the whole building with the Dragon Slave. "Just so you know, right now I hate you."

If it was possible, Dumbledore looked even more pleased with himself. "Noted. Now let's enjoy this wonderful lunch and discuss the arrangements."

_______________________________________________________________________

**Lady Knight3:** Hmm…I wonder what arrangements are being made? Why is Juline obsessed with potions masters? (minds out of gutter, people) What exactly is a Dragon Slave? (If anyone has ever seen Slayers, you already know the answer to this.) Hopefully we'll find out in the next chapters as our chaotic quartet heads to Hogwarts. God help them. 

And remember, reviewing is fun! Even more so for the Author. So please Read & Review.


	4. Ch 3 Americans in Diagon Alley

**Lady Knight3: **I'm back! I bet you thought you were rid of me! Well no such luck! However I have a really heavy workload at school right now, so I don't get to write as often as I like. But I will keep at it! *strikes a dramatic pose* I will not fail my loyal readers! *crickets chirp* 

Disclaimer: If I was J.K Rowling, this would be cannon and I would be rich.

**_Special Thanks to:_**

**Myshawolf** – I'm glad you like it. Hope you keep reading.

**Mysao-werewolf** – Thanks for the review! Yeah, Juline is a bit like that…though she doesn't stalk people…in Wal-Mart, at least.

**Rini **– Are you happy now?

**Icecoolers** – Yeah, it's a bit complex…hopefully things are becoming clear I hope you continue to read this.

**LunaMagic** – I have continued. Please enjoy.

**Corazon** – Here's some more, hope you like this.

~*~Chapter 3~*~

            Juline was impressed that the house was still standing. The casual observer might have thought World War III was taking place within the old Victorian estate, but it wasn't a smoking pile of rubble…yet. Two of the four witches had a tendency to explode things when pissed off, which had resulted in this being their fifth house in as many years.

            Chris had cursed Voldemort, and Fudge to the very bottom of the Nine Hells. Emily and Rini, having a longer fuse than their sister and friend, were a little less colorful in their anger, though no less venomous. Then Juline told them about Dumbledore's "request"…and the fact that she agreed.

            "What?!"  Chris practically shrieked. "How the bloody hell did that happen? You didn't even want to meet with him!" She fixed Juline with a glare that could melt steel. "I. Don't. Want. Anything.  To.  Do. With.  Moldyfort."  She ground out between clenched teeth.

            "And you think I do?" Juline spat as she paced in front of the study's fireplace. "We don't have to deal with him. We just do what we do best: go in, get the goods, and get the hell out of there. That's it. _We_ have a choice, those kids don't. We could at least do this for 'em."

            Chris' eyes narrowed as she watched Juline fidget, "Alright, what did he offer you?" Juline mumbled something as she sat on top of her dark oak-wood desk and riffled through papers.

            "Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that."

            "Potions Master!" 

This time, even her sisters swore. Juline was a very talented witch, as were they all in their own ways, and potions was one of the things she really excelled at. She loved the arcane art to a point beyond obsession and was always hunting for rare ingredients and lost recipes. About three or four years ago, Juline had stumbled across an incredibly complex potion, called _La Drought de Immortallia_, in an ancient tome on a 'job' and naturally, wanted to try it.  Unfortunately it required a lot of extremely rare ingredients and the procedure itself was so complex it required two high-level potions masters to complete it successfully.  She'd some how managed to scrape together all the ingredients, including the elusive Vampire's Drop of Love, however trying to find a potions master somewhere near her level had proved…difficult.  Thus her bizarre interest in Albus' offer.

"Juline…get help! You are obsessed! And I thought you two were supposed to go with her!"

Emily shrugged, "She didn't want us to."

"Yeah," Rini said, defensively.  "Besides, how were we supposed to know he had that kind of ace up his sleeve?"

Chris threw her hands up in disgust and frustration. "This is just wonderful. So what mess have you and your hobby gotten us into this time? What _exactly_ does the old man want us to do?" Chris made her way to the mini-bar in the corner of the room. "I think I need a drink…"

Juline watched Chris prepare herself a shot of _Black Magic_ as she thought of how to explain Albus' plan to the other witches in a way that wouldn't result in her death and/or dismemberment. Figuring that choking on alcohol would distract Chris long enough for her to make her escape, Juline decided to just spit it out. "He wants us to enroll as students so we can snoop around with less suspicion."  Juline dashed out the study door as Chris sprayed the shot she was about to down across the room. 

The younger girls glanced at each other with a 'what just happened' expression. Eyes widening in realization, they took off after their elder sister to wring some answers out of her, leaving Chris behind to recover from her choking fit. 

A few minutes later, a panting Juline poked her head back into the study. "Is it safe to come in?" she asked, pouting at her best friend's glare.

"I have decided to let you live, rather than deal with house hunting. At least, long enough to explain.  I mean Rini, and maybe Emily could pass as students but there is no way on God's Green Earth that the two of us could pass as high-schoolers.  And if you make one height crack I will kill you…"

"How generous of you," Juline said as she rolled her eyes.  "I already thought of that problem and asked Albus why we couldn't go as professors and he said he only had two positions open: one was already filled and the other is Defense Against the Dark Arts.  1) That position is rumored to be cursed and 2) that only gets one of us on the campus. Not to mention the fact that neither of us has a teaching certificate."  Juline held up her hand, stopping Chris before she could interrupt.  "And yes, I know we could forge those documents, but apparently the Ministry has been keeping an annoyingly close watch on Albus lately and I really don't want them poking too closely into our pasts. Students aren't as closely scrutinized as the faculty, especially when the 'parents' of those students make large donations to the Ministry's finances."  Juline smirked.

"That still doesn't explain how we are supposed to pass as sixteen year olds.  Unless you've suddenly become a shapeshifter without telling me, or do you have a de-aging potion on hand?"

Juline conjured a crystal and proceed to fiddle with it.  "He said that was up to us, as he was sure that with our resources we'd come up with something.  I thought about a potion at first, but age-influencing ones are unstable and you have to keep retaking them at certain intervals. Plus the results can vary from batch to batch.  We could start out looking like 7th years and end up looking like 1st years by Christmas."  She flipped the crystal to her other hand, and suddenly there were two.

Chris collapsed into her favorite chair with a resigned sigh.  "So what did you come up with after ruling out potions?"

Juline managed to look uncomfortable, "Well I haven't quite figured that part out yet…. but we've got until September."

**~Late August~**

"I've done it!"  Emily announced as she scrambled into the kitchen and skidded to a halt before the table. 

"Done what?"  Juline queried, glancing up from a book entitled, "_So You Want to Be Young: Spells and Potions to Defy the Centuries."_ Disgustedly she closed the book and threw it into a rather large pile behind her chair and turned towards something more productive…namely her cornflakes.

            "Yeah Em, nothing is this important before I've had my coffee.  Did you want some French toast before I cancel the spell?"  Chris commented from her perch before the two-gallon Mr. Coffee machine.

            Rini, barely taking the time to swallow her French toast, grumbled something unintelligible as she glared at her sister for being so cheery so early.

            "Is the solution to our little age problem a good enough reason to interrupt your breakfasts?"  Emily asked the three seated around the table.  "It was so simple; I don't see why none of us thought of it before.  Glamour Charms!  All I had to do was adjust the gaderffii of the chromasheath and—"

            "Stop!  It's too early for us to wrap our minds around your Charms jargon. Just the basics please, at least until Chris has finished her coffee."  Juline interrupted, glancing at the giant mug Chris was filling with the hot beverage.

            "Fine," Emily sat down and pulled over a stack of French toast.  "Basically I adjusted a standard Glamour charm to copy the images out of that photo album Grandma gave us. We were trying to actually make ourselves younger without making it permanent, which is why we were getting nowhere.  This way we don't actually change our ages, we just LOOK like we're younger."

            "That's so simple it's brilliant!  I knew we kept you around for a reason, Em."  Juline praised.  "Are you ready to test it out?  We don't have much time if we're going to buy school supplies and finish setting up our fake backgrounds.  Chris, where'd you put those acceptance letters and supply lists Dumbledore sent us?"

            "I put them in my filing cabinet; since I figured we'd loose them in the chaos you call your desk.  Under "H" for Hogwarts, or Hair-Brained Ideas, I couldn't decide which."

            "Hey!  I resent that remark!"  Juline sputtered.

            "Your desk _resembles_ that remark.  I said nothing about you…"

            "Um, guys?"  Emily cut in. "There is a slight technical difficulty.  The only pictures I could find of you camera-phobias were candid shots taken when you were Rini's age.  So you're going as fifth years.  I found a picture of myself from when I was fifteen so I'll be joining you.  Rini's going as-is, so we can stick her in either fourth or fifth with us."

            Rini, swallowing the last of her breakfast, volunteered, "I'll go in fourth year.  Three people from one family will be too weird going into the same year, and I doubt we could pass as triplets."

            "Now that we've decided those details, we need to let Albus know what to expect and start preparing ourselves. _Accio Hogwarts' Letter!_"  Chris said, waving her hand in the general direction of the study.

            "Shit!"  Juline exclaimed as the others looked at her curiously.  "I just realized this means we need to get wands.  All that time studying to get rid of the damn things…"

            "Who studied?"  Chris asked innocently as the letter dropped softly into her outstretched hand.

            "Shut up you fairy."  Juline rolled her eyes at her friend then began to speak in a mocking tone.  "Oh, look at me!  I'm part of the all-powerful LeFaye Clan!  We gave Arthur the magic sword.  We rule Avalon. We pioneered wandless magic.  Aren't we special?"

            "That's Fairy Princess to you, mortal."

            "You wish…"

            "This coming from the person who wants to brew _La Drought de Immortallia_."

            "I never said _I_ didn't wish."

Emily and Rini just sighed as the old argument between the lifelong best friends reopened. "And there goes the peace accord between the Belmonts and the LeFayes… again."

**~Later that day~**

            "V_ideo, Vidi, Visum!"_  Emily chanted, passing her hands over Juline, Chris, and herself.  Rini saw the air shimmer between herself and the trio on the other side of the room.  She watched all three changed subtly.  Emily and Juline each lost an inch or two in height, Chris' hair got a little longer and a little darker, curves became less defined, and the laugh lines disappeared from Chris and Juline's faces.

            "Are you sure this worked?  I don't feel any different, and you two don't look any different."  Juline complained.

            "What do you mean you don't look different?  It wasn't exactly a major change, but you do look younger."  Rini commented.

            "It appears that if you are under the glamour you are immune to its illusion power."  Emily theorized.

            "That's nice, Em.  But what I want to know is what did you anchor the spell to and how do we get rid of it?"  Chris asked.  "In laymen's terms please."

            "The spell is tied to your wills.  It won't break until and unless you really want it to.  If you do break the illusion, repeating the incantation will restore it."

            Juline shook her head.  "There is no way people are gonna fall for this…"

**~Diagon Alley, The next day~**

"I don't believe they're buying this."  Juline said dropping her forehead into her palm in disbelief as they stood outside _Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions_ where they had just purchased their school uniforms.  "I have completely lost faith in the intelligence of the human race."

            "Well, they can't all be as good as us. Well done, Em." Chris smiled as she placed her purchases into one of her earliest experiments: a bottomless book bag that could hold a near-infinite amount of stuff and yet be completely weightless. 

            "All we need are books and wands.  Where to now?"  Rini asked, giving a longing look towards _Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor_.

            "Let's get our books first, and then take turns at the wand place. From what Dumbledore said, it could take a while.  The rest of us can get ice cream while we wait, I guess." Juline suggested.

            Rini cheered.  "That sounds like a plan. To _Flourish & Blotts_!" she raced off towards the bookstore, leaving the other three to follow at a more reasonable pace.

            As the youngest Belmont approached the door, it swung open allowing an older woman with red hair to pass through. Unable to stop in time, Rini plowed right into the lady, sending the woman's packages flying. The other girls dashed over to try reducing the chaos. Between the four of them, they managed to collect the large number of parcels the woman had been carrying.

            "Are you alright, ma'am?" Emily asked the redhead.

            "I'm sorry about my cousin," Juline apologized, "sometimes we just can't take her anywhere."

            "I'm fine, girls, no need to apologize. Accidents happen. I have several children just as full of energy and mischief." The woman stated, smiling warmly as she began to gather her packages back into her arms.

            "The least we could do is to help you with your parcels.  Where are you headed Mrs.?"  Chris asked

            "The Leaky Cauldron, if you don't mind, dears.  My name is Molly Weasley."

            "I'm Juline Belmont, and these are my cousins Emily and Rini the human cyclone. And this is Chris LeFaye.  We are transferring to Hogwarts from Salem Academy in the States."

            "I thought it odd to hear American accents in Diagon Alley.  What year will you dears be joining?  Four of my children are still at Hogwarts."  Mrs. Weasley asked as they headed towards the tavern at the far end of the street.

            "Rini will be a fourth year, while Emily, Chris, and I will be fifth years."

            "You will probably have classes with my Ron, then.  He's a fifth year. And my Ginny is in fourth like you, Rini. Both are in Gryffindor."

            "I guess we're going to be sorted into the Houses along with the new first years, at least that's what our transfer letter said," Emily told Mrs. Weasley as they entered the tavern.

"I'm sure you dears will be sorted into good Houses and I know you'll just love Hogwarts," Mrs. Weasley bubbled as she lead the way over to the fireplace. "I can manage from here, my dears. You'd better hurry and get back to your parents. I'm sure they're probably sick with worry, wondering where you four have got to."

            They said good-bye to Mrs. Weasley and headed back towards _Flourish & Blotts_. Then Emily and Chris went to get their wands while Juline let Rini drag her off to buy ice cream. Two hours and four _Death By Chocolate Suicide_ sundaes later, Chris and Emily came back.

            "Your turns," Chris said a little too sweetly. She walked past the table and over to the counter to place her order, twirling her new wand.

            Juline arched an eyebrow, and then turned to her sister. "Is the place still standing?" She asked wearily. 

            "_Barely_. She must have tried at least fifty different wands before finding the right one. I'm lucky I made it out alive, now I need chocolate." Emily followed Chris' path to the counter.

            Juline dropped her head into her hands. Rini patted her eldest sister on the back. "Come on, let's go finish off the rest of Ollivander's, I hope he's got a really good insurance plan," Rini laughed as she pushed the eldest Belmont down the street.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Lady Knight3:** Well another chapter done. And we've actually met someone from cannon! *audience cheers* Gee, thanks. Next chapter: Chaos on Hogwarts Express! Harry, Hermione and Ron finally make an appearance! Along with Sirius (in dog form), and…. what's this? Lucius and Draco too? REVIEW!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!


	5. Ch 4 Meet Harry Potter

**Lady Knight3: **Hello all! Just finished up with finals, so now I'm done with school for the summer. Hopefully I'll be able to get some writing done.

**Disclaimer:** I solemnly swear that I am _NOT_ J.K. Rowling! Nor am I Terry Prachett, who owns the Luggage. What can I say? I like borrowing from British authors. I also like to say, nothing personal against the British, but I hear their food is very bland…and even if it's not, it is in this story. Same goes for the lack of concession stands in the train station.

**_Special Thanks to: _**Lady Sei…without whom this chapter might not have been written.

Chapter 4

"Harry! Wake up! We're gonna miss the train!" Ron Weasley hollered up the stairs of 12 Grimmauld Place where the Weasley Clan (minus Percy), Hermione Granger, and The-Boy-Who-Lived had spent the last several weeks of their summer vacation. This unassuming house, the ancestral home of Sirius Black, was now serving as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society formed by Albus Dumbledore to combat Voldemort and his Deatheaters. As Harry struggled to put his clothing on he heard several female voices arguing loudly.

"--FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS –"

"SHUT UP YOU OLD BIDDY! THIS ISN'T YOUR HOUSE ANYMORE! IT'S SIRIUS' AND HE CAN HAVE WHOEVER HE WANTS OVER FOR AS LONG AS HE WANTS!"

Harry grinned at the continuing disagreement between Mrs. Black and Mrs. Weasley. Neither one had given an inch to the other since he had arrived at his godfather's house. As he tied his shoes there was a knock and Hermione's voice filtered through the door. "Are you ready yet? Mum and Dad just sent Hedwig back so we're just waiting for Tonks to put the finishing touches on her disguise. Moody's really chomping at the bit to get going. He's more fidgety than normal."

"Come in. I'm almost ready." Harry folded his pajamas and stuffed them in his trunk as Hermione opened the door and stepped inside. Hedwig fluttered off her shoulder and into to the open cage in the corner. Harry slammed the lid of his trunk down and leaned over to latch the cage door. "All set. Let's not keep everyone waiting. Could you carry Hedwig's cage for me?"

Harry, dragging his trunk, followed Hermione downstairs to where the other occupants of the house waited. The howling of the still incised portrait drowned the noise of the trunk, thudding down the steps, out. Mrs. Weasley looked up as the pair approached her.

"Harry, you're to come with me and Tonks," she shouted over the repeated screeches of "_MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT!_" "Hermione, dear, you go with Ron and Arthur. Leave your things here; Alastor's going to deal with the luggage... Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!" The large black dog stubbornly stayed by Harry's side as the boy walked towards the Weasley matriarch. "Oh honestly… Well, on your own head be it!" She bustled past them, heading for the front door where Tonks waited, disguised as an elderly woman.

Tonks winked at Harry as he and Padfoot passed her on their way out. They headed in the direction of King's Cross, Padfoot spooking several neighborhood cats along the way. Harry still couldn't believe that he was allowed to return to Hogwarts. He had been certain that Fudge would lock him in Azkaban and throw away the key, and if it hadn't been for Dumbledore's intervention, he very well might have.

It had been a very tense summer for Harry, even without the Dementors' attack. Everyday, Harry expected to hear some news of Voldemort's return, and was shocked when he didn't even see a mention of it in the Daily Prophet. That, he'd later learned, was because of the Ministry's refusal to accept that Lord Voldemort was back. Harry ground his teeth in frustration, after what happened at the Triwizard Tournament how could they _not_ believe it?! He could still see Cedric fall every time he closed his eyes and hear Voldemort's cruel laughter and the deatheaters' taunts in his sleep.

Padfoot barked, drawing Harry out of his reflections. The summer hadn't been any easier on the animagus either. Still a wanted man, Sirius had been cooped up in his family home for months. Even though he knew it was for his own protection, Sirius hated being confined and "useless".

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the station. Once inside, they lingered casually beside the barrier between platforms nine and ten until the crowd thinned, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through onto platform nine and three quarters. Harry took in the familiar surroundings and his spirit soared…He was _really_ going back. They moved away from the entrance as they waited anxiously for the others to arrive. Suddenly, Harry heard a shout from somewhere behind him. He turned in time to see a figure converging on Padfoot, who had been chasing his tail nearby…

* * *

"It's way too early for this," Juline yawned as the quartet hauled their luggage to the train station. "Hey Chris, what platform are we looking for again?" She asked, peering around the bustling station through half-shut eyes.

"Nine and three quarters," the brunette replied. "Thank the gods for Starbucks," she added as she clutched her double mocha latte like a life preserver. "We did remember to pack my Mr. Coffee, right?"

"If we didn't we can get it later," Juline muttered as she scanned the signs.

Rini snorted and shifted her weight, trying to balance her overstuffed bag. "If _someone_ had set the alarm like they were _supposed_ to, we wouldn't have been running around like morons…and we would have had time for a decent breakfast! Starbucks bagels just don't cut it."

"Um…I think there's a problem here," Emily said, looking slightly confused. "I see platform nine and platform ten, but no nine and three quarters."

"Maybe we should ask someone…."

"Right, we'll just go up to some random person and ask how to get to the train for the wizarding school." Juline said, rolling her eyes. "Hang on a minute and let me find the entrance." She narrowed her eyes and seemed to be glaring at the space between the platforms. "There it is," she said, indicating the brick wall they were approaching.

Passing through the barrier, they encountered the majestic site of the Hogwarts Express. Faking awe for a moment, they settle down on a bench to wait for the boarding signal.

"I can't believe we're actually here early" Chris marveled. "It's a sign of the Apocalypse."

"Well, there ARE four of us..." Rini commented.

The grumbling of stomachs interrupted the laughter. Sighing, Juline stood up. "I wonder if English wizards have heard of concession stands. I'll be back. Don't let anyone near the Luggage and try to remember we're undercover so don't draw any unnecessary attention."

"Look who's talking, Ms. Pyro," Emily muttered, rolling her eyes at her sister's retreating back.

* * *

As Juline wandered further down the platform in search of food -- preferably some that tasted like food, this was England after all -- she studied the people she passed, noting anything that seemed interesting. Almost to the far end of the platform, she gave up and began turning to head back to the others. "They better have something on the train… bloody English wizards…" As she spun around she caught a flash of silver in a shady alcove. Pausing to take a better look, she saw a tall, elegant looking man and a boy about her supposed age – fifteen or sixteen. Both had an unusual shade of silver blond hair, pale skin, and an aristocratic demeanor. They looked enough alike that they were probably father and son. Juline smiled "If it weren't for the older man's sour expression, he'd be a nice roll in the hay." She was about to turn away before she was caught ogling when her brain stopped paying attention to her libido and processed what was happening. Giving the scene a second look, she saw that the younger of the two was cradling his left arm and the older had a solid grip on the back of the boy's neck. The man lowered his head and whispered something into the boy's ear, gave the boy a rough shake, and shoved him in the direction of the waiting train. Juline watched as the boy caught himself, stood ramrod straight, wincing as his arm straightened, and nodded to his Father who raised his wand and disapparated. As the boy turned to head in her direction, she quickly twisted the ring on her right ring finger a half a turn, activating the invisibility spell contained within the ancient artifact. "It's a good thing that guy disapparated," she muttered angrily as the boy walked past her.

Suddenly, the boy stopped in his tracks and turned towards where Juline stood with a rather perplexed expression. "Who's there?" he asked the seemingly empty space. After staring for a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his head with his good right hand. "Must have been hit too hard this time, now I'm seeing things." The boy turned back to the train and was lost in the gathering crowd.

Juline reappeared with an expression halfway between worry and excitement on her face. "Well, this should be interesting…" She headed back to where the others waited, completely forgetting her quest for food.

* * *

After several minutes of dodging students carrying suitcases and pushing trolleys overflowing with trunks and other types of luggage, she finally spotted her sisters sitting on a bench…but no Chris.

"Where's that flake of a fairy? I haven't been gone _that _long."

Both Rini with Emily looked at their approaching sister with amused expressions and pointed towards the entrance where Chris was glomping a large furry animal.

"Not again," Juline groaned as she rushed over to rescue the poor creature, which looked to be having trouble breathing. "Chris, let go of the dog."

"Puppy!"

"Chris, that's a full grown dog."

"Puppy!"

"Chris, it's not a puppy and I think you're scaring his owner," she said smiling up at the panicked looking boy with dark hair. "I swear she's had all her shots, she's just very fond of…" Juline glanced back at the poor animal and suddenly got a strange expression on her face. "Um…she really likes animals. Chris, let go. _Now_."

Reluctantly, Chris released her death grip and glared at Juline. Standing up, she brushed the fur off her jeans. "Sorry, he's just so cute! I couldn't help it," she too smiled at the boy. Looking behind him she spied a familiar face. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley. Is this your son Ron?"

"Oh! Miss LeFaye, Miss Belmont, I almost didn't recognize you. No, this is Harry Potter, one of Ron's friends. Harry, meet Juline Belmont and Christine LeFaye. They are two of the transfer students from across the pond. I think I mentioned meeting them when I went to get everyone's school supplies."

The Americans shared a quick glance that said 'we'll talk later'. "It's nice to meet you, Harry," Juline piped up offering her hand.

"Likewise." Harry replied, reaching out to shake hands, keeping his left hand on the head of his nervous looking pet. "I've never met an American before, much less a magical one."

After making some small talk, an odd tingle makes Juline snap her eyes to the entrance from the muggle station. "Well, we'd better get seats while there's still some open. Goodbye Mrs. Weasley. See you on the train Harry." Turning to go Juline added with a secretive smile, "I'm sure we're going to have a _fun_ year."

"Ok, what was that about? We've got plenty of time." Chris asked with a puzzled expression.

Juline reached into her pocket and pulled out a compact. Handing it to the other girl, she murmured, "The porter coming up to them with the luggage cart."

Chris held the mirror up as if to fix her makeup. "What about him?"

"There's some sort of enchantment on his eye. I only caught a glimpse but it appeared to be a spell of revelation. He might have been able to see through our disguises."

"I don't see anything, but there is something about that eye. Sometimes I wish I could _see_ things like you do. Life would be so much easier if spells appeared as glyphs of light overlaid on things."

"You may not have Mage Sight, but your Mage Sense is strong. Which is why I'm surprised you glomped that 'dog' for as long as you did. You did realize that was an animagus, right?" Juline shot a questioning glance at the other girl.

"Yep!" Chris snapped the compact shut and handed it back to her friend.

"Then what were you thinking?"

"He might be hott…"

"Who might be hott?" interrupted Emily.

"Yeah! No hogging the cuties," Rini added.

"I know you've dated dogs before, Chris," Juline continued, ignoring her sisters, "but this is too literal, even for me."

"Nothing is quite so annoying as to have someone go right on talking when you're interrupting." Rini huffed.

"True." Emily agreed, snapping her fingers and casting a silencing charm on the bickering duo before World War Three broke out… again.

"I'm assuming Juline's spidy-sense went off again. You are the last two to worry about being early for anything and if you high-tailed it out of that conversation any faster you would have left skid marks." Rini commented, quirking an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Juline crossed her arms and glared at Emily who snapped her fingers and ended the spell. "I'll explain on the train. Chris, grab the Luggage before it wanders away. What possessed you to buy a chest made of sapient pearwood anyway?"

"It was cute, and that odd looking man in the 'Wizzard' hat was selling it cheap," Chris replied.

Juline rolled her eyes. "You have the weirdest ideas of what makes things cute. Let's get going before that guy looks our way."

* * *

Several hours into the seemingly eternal train ride, the four American witches began to get cabin fever. Relieving the snack cart lady of her stock probably didn't help, as the middle of a sugar rush is the worst time to get bored.

"Juline, I think your portal system has totally spoiled us. I don't know what to do with all this down time." Chris complained.

"Yeah, this undercover stuff sucks," Rini added. "I vote Juline opens a portal home and we don't come back until we're almost to Hogwarts. At least that way I won't go nuts."

"Hmm… portalling to and from a moving target?" Juline mused sarcastically. "A portal between here and the Midwest USA is draining enough, given the distance involved. Are you volunteering for the experiment, Rini?"

"Not yet, but give me another hour and I might have gone stir crazy enough to attempt it."

"It's not like there'd be anything to do at home anyway," Emily chimed in. "We've tied up all the loose ends and brought most of our stuff with us."

Chris flicked her wrist and conjured a deck of cards. "Anyone up for a game of B.S.?" As she began dealing the cards a scream pierced the wall separating their compartment from the next one. Eager to have _something_ to do, the girls jumped up and raced to see what was happening next door leaving cards swirling in the wind.

Rini, the speed demon, arrived first and flung the door open. Inside was an odd assortment of young people. Emily, keeping a somewhat cooler head, studied the occupants. She noted the prefect badges on the robes of the girl with the brown hair and the boy with red hair. A girl with waist-length ash-blond hair seemed to be having convulsions, but the giggles that escaped proved them to be non-life threatening. Her gaze almost passed over the boy seated next to the blond until she noticed the plant in his hands. 'A _Mimbulus mimbletonia,' _she thought. 'That's a rare plant to see, especially one in the hands of a high school kid.' She made a mental note to find out where he did his plant shopping. Another girl looked at the newcomers with a curious expression. With her flaming hair she must have been related to the first boy, the prefect. A third boy looked up from a magazine he'd been reading. Green eyes peered at the girls in the doorway through wire frame glasses. Chris and Juline recognized Harry from their meeting in the station and smiled at him.

"Hi Harry!" Chris said, grinning. "What's all the commotion?"

"We heard a scream and came to investigate," Juline explained.

"That was just Luna laughing." Harry said.

"That was laughter?" Rini muttered under her breath. Poking Juline in the ribs, she spoke up, "So who's your friend? Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Rini, Emily, this is Harry Potter," Chris said, giving the two a glance. "Harry, this is Emily and the pushy one is Rini. They're sisters and Juline's cousins."

"It's nice to meet you." Harry replied. "That's Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, they're my best friends and Gryffindor's fifth year prefects," he said, indicating the red haired boy and the brunette girl next to him. "This is Neville Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor fifth year, and Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw fourth year," he nodded towards the boy with the plant and the blond still struggling to contain her laughter. "And this is Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister, and a Gryffindor fourth year." He gestured to the red haired girl, and then turned to his friends. "Guys, this is Chris, Juline, Emily, and Rini," the Americans each waved at the mention of their name. "They are the American exchange students your mum mentioned. I ran into them when I was waiting for you two to show up." Harry exchanged a glance with Ron and Hermione.

"It's nice to meet you all." Rini's smile widened a bit. "So what happens on this train to pass the time? I'm going nuts cooped up with these three."

"Not much. There's some people doing last minute homework, a couple compartments are playing card and board games, and at least three where everybody's napping." Ron said.

"Well, we're about due for our traditional interruption, anyway. Have a seat. Malfoy may be a prat, but he never fails to liven up our trip." Harry gestured towards the extra space the train provided.

"Shall we play a game while we wait?" Chris suggested. "I left the cards half dealt in our compartment." The others nodded and she slid out the door, returning with two decks of cards a moment later. "Harry, does this Malfoy person have blond hair and two Neanderthals following him? Because if that's him, he just entered the car and is heading this way."

"Calling Crabbe and Goyle Neanderthals is an insult to cave people everywhere," Ron said snidely.

The door opened revealing a smirking young man with blond hair and his two cronies. Juline recognized him as the boy she had seen in the alcove and who had almost seen her.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry said in an odd tone.

"Manners Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy with a smirk. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

As the Gryffindors laughed, Juline and Chris nodded approvingly at the comeback, drawing Malfoy's attention to the girls.

"And what's this? A Mudblood convention?" Malfoy demanded arrogantly. "Whoever you are you should choose some new friends. Potter will only get you in trouble."

"Mudblood? Did he just call _me_ a Mudblood?" Chris asked in a quiet voice.

"He's done it now," Juline stated, inching away from her friend. "That's her 'seriously pissed off' voice."

"You should guard your tongue better, Malfoy, especially when you don't know who you're insulting. I doubt you can get any more "pureblooded" than a LeFaye…" Chris trailed off as she watched Malfoy's eyes bug out. She saw Hermione's jaw drop out of the corner of her eye and smirked. "…Or a Belmont, for that matter. Right, Juline?"

"My advice, kid, is to get out now. Before she does something you'll regret." Juline said with a smirk. "And I'll have to clean up." She added under her breath.

Malfoy paled and he took a step back, bumping his left arm against Goyle. Juline thought she was the only one who caught the wince and the pain that flashed in the boy's eyes. He stiffened and delivered a parting shot before disappearing into the corridor. "Whatever. Just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be _dogging_ your footsteps in case you step out of line."

Rini reached over and slammed the door shut behind Malfoy and his Goon Squad. "You were right, he did liven this trip up." She turned back to the group to see Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna staring at the Americans. "What? Do I have chocolate on my face or something?"

Emily quirked an eyebrow at the looks that passed between Harry and Hermione. She got the distinct feeling she missed something in Malfoy's last comment. The two shared a look that said "later" and turned their attention back on their new friends.

"What was that about? Why'd Malfoy freak out when he heard your names?" Harry asked.

"You've never heard about the LeFaye and Belmont Clans?" Ginny was shocked. "What did you do in History of Magic? Sleep?"

A guilty look flashed across Harry's face. "With Professor Binns teaching, it's kinda hard not to. And all those names blur together after a while."

Hermione rolls her eyes. "Oh, honestly, Harry. The LeFaye Clan, as even Muggles know, were the ones who gave King Arthur the sword Excalibur. They are also said to be the caretakers of Avalon. They've been a powerful, influential Wizarding Family since _before_ the time of Merlin."

"I don't know why people keep referring to Uncle Merlin like that. We're all that good; he just chose to be more obvious about it." Chris stated, coming out of kill-the-SOB-or-at-least-scare-the-crap-out-of-him mode.

"And they're all so _modest_ about it too," Juline quipped, rolling her eyes.

Hermione just continues her lecture. "And the Belmont Clan has been slaying demons and vampires for centuries."

"We're damn good at it too," Juline chimed in.

"Now who's modest?" Chris playfully sniped.

"Shut up, you fairy," snapped the eldest Belmont.

"Are they always like this?" Ginny asked Rini.

"This is nothing. You should see them when they aren't worried about property damage," Rini replied. "Knock it off you two! I'd like to play at least one hand before we get to Hogwarts."

"Fine," Chris sighed. "The name of the game is B.S. First one out or with the fewest cards when the whistle blows wins."

"I'm not very good at this game," Emily admitted. "I'll go see if that snack cart has restocked. If not, I'm sure we've got some leftovers in our compartment." She ducked out of the room in search of the trolley as Chris began dealing.

* * *

Emily wandered down aisle to looking for the woman with the cart. Before she reached the end of it, she remembered the Quidditch book she wanted to show Ron was back in the compartment. It turned out that he, too, was a major Quidditch fan. _I'd better grab it now before I forget, _she thought_._ She ducked in and began rummaging through her things.

"I know it's here somewhere," she mumbled, turning over her robes and things in her bag. "Ah-ha! Excellent!" She exclaimed as she discovered her book _Quidditch: Strategies of Champions_. She turned and hurried out of the compartment right into a rather tall, burly, young man. The force of the collision, and the fact that they were moving, managed to send him backwards with Emily landing on top, the book in her hands flying askew. Once she realized what had happened, Emily turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Oh my Lord! I'm so sorry!" she pleaded, mortified. He was really hot and this was extremely embarrassing. "Did I hurt you? I'm really sorry; I wasn't paying attention and…"

"It's alright, I'm just fine," he interrupted, blushing slightly himself. "I wasn't really paying attention myself." Emily's eyes couldn't help but go wide at the sound of his beautiful, thick Scottish burr. She loved that accent. In truth, Emily loved most accents, but the ones from the UK and Ireland were her favorites. She was so taken that she forgot what she was doing and was startled when he spoke again.

"Umm, would mind getting off of me now please? It wouldn't look very good if someone came along and found a student on top of the new professor," he laughed slightly. Realizing again the extremely awkward position they were still in, Emily grew twice as red as before, if that's even possible.

"Oh Lord, I'm so sorry," she stammered for what seemed like the hundredth time. Then she set about trying to stand up without putting her hands anywhere she…shouldn't. Finally after much apologizing and awkward movements, they were finally able to stand and face each other.

"Again, I'm really sorry Professor…er…I'm sorry, what was your name?" Emily asked awkwardly.

"Sorry, Oliver Wood, uh, I mean Professor Wood. I'm still not used to it. I'll be taking over for Madam Hooch with flying lessons and Quidditch games and such," he explained, and then he noticed the book that had fallen in their collision and grabbed it quickly. "_Quidditch: Strategies of Champions_! This went out of print years ago! How did you get it? Are you a big fan?" he asked looking more and more amazed and excited at the same time.

"Yes, I'm a huge fan! I absolutely love the game. The book was umm…my father's. He enjoyed the sport very much too. I'm Emily Belmont, by the way," she said extending her hand, "I'm just transferring to Hogwarts this year from the U.S."

"It's very nice to meet you, Emily," he said, taking her hand and then looking at the book again. "I'm curious as to how your father got this; it's been out of print over fifty years."

"My grandfather must've given it to him then…I don't really know, my parents died when I was quite young," Emily stammered. "Did you say your name was Oliver Wood? Didn't you play for Pudmere United?" she asked in a desperate attempt to avoid the subject of where the book came from.

"Yes, I did. I can't believe you know that. I didn't really play with them that long. I'm in more of a called-up-when-needed position now after my last injury. I needed a break and Dumbledore offered me this position," he explained.

"Ah, yes, that _does_ sound like Uncle Albus."

"What?"

"Nothing. Well, I really must get back to my compartment; I want to change before we arrive. It was really nice to meet and I can't tell you how sorry I am for falling on you," Emily said still quite embarrassed.

"Please, don't even think of it. If anyone was going to fall on me, I'm glad it was you," he said. Then blushing again, realizing, "I, um, would really like to talk with you again…about Quidditch, you know."

Emily smiled, "I would like that a lot. Perhaps I'll let you borrow my book sometime, and then we could go over the more interesting parts…together."

Oliver smiled back, "I look forward to it. Good-bye."

"Bye," she watched as he turned to go back down the aisle, then in a half dreamy state wandered back to the compartment to rejoin her companions.

* * *

Emily wandered into the compartment, and almost tripped over Rini who was struggling to button her blouse and tie her shoes at the same time. The older two were still in their street clothing, eyeing the uniforms with identical expressions of disgust; mainly over the fact that they had to wear pleated skirts.

"Chris, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Juline asked.

"If it involves transfiguring these monstrosities into something wearable, then yes," Chris replied.

"This coming from the two who were constantly reminding Emily and me about being low key and not drawing attention to ourselves," Rini grumbled indignantly.

"Do as I say, not as I do," Juline replied. "And there's no rule about girls wearing boys uniforms. It just says you must have a school uniform. And we will." Juline turned back to the uniforms, digging in her pocket for the almost forgotten wand. "Oh, and it will be a pain, but we've got to remember to use these things." Juline waved her wand and the skirt lengthened and split down the middle forming a pair of slacks. "Your turn, Chris." Juline turned around and spotted Emily unpacking her uniform. "Hey, now that Emily's back I've got something to tell you. You remember that Malfoy kid, right?"

"Who could forget that arrogant, presumptuous prick?" Chris vented.

"I see you do. Good. Well, this isn't the first time I've seen him. Remember when we were waiting for the train and I left to find food? As I was walking, I spotted a father and son in a shady alcove. To make a long story short, it looked like they were arguing. The father was being more physical about it than was necessary, if you catch my drift. Anyway, the kid was Malfoy."

"That doesn't excuse what he said." Chris huffed.

"I know, but that's not the whole story. He knew I was there." Juline said.

"What are you talking about? It's kinda hard to miss someone with your hair wearing Muggle clothing in the middle of a Wizarding train station, even with the crowd." Rini asked, puzzled.

"I used the ring. And he still knew. He walked past me, then turned around and looked right at me. He wasn't completely sure he saw me, and after a few minutes he just shrugged it off."

"Sight or sense?" Emily asked.

"Too soon to tell. But, he's definitely one to watch. For more than one reason, it seems."

* * *

Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were also changing into their uniforms. Ron and Hermione had already left to join the other prefects. Harry, unable to talk to Ginny in front of Neville and Luna, was pondering Malfoy's parting words. Was the use of the word "dogging" a deliberate choice or was it just coincidence? Did Malfoy know? Did his father know? That rat, Pettigrew, could have told the Deatheaters anything. They might even tip off the Ministry to Sirius' hiding place. Harry was beginning to work himself into a panic, when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I might not be my brother, but I'm still your friend. You can talk to me if anything's wrong." Ginny offered quietly.

"I'm just worried about Snuffles," Harry replied. "I haven't been away from him for this long since I got him."

"Well, don't. Snuffles will be fine. He's a tough old dog." Ginny smiled. "And don't listen to Malfoy either. He's full of it, as usual."

* * *

**Lady Knight3: **At the sound of the beep, please leave a review. BEEEEEEPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!


	6. Ch 5 Two Pina Coladas

**Lady Knight3:** Sorry this chapter took so long, kids. College has been taking up a large chunk of my time. I'll try to do better with the next chapters… I hope….

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter (which is probably a good thing or you'd still be on book two), the Magic 8-Ball, or anything to do with a Country song about alcohol. And I'd like to apologize for my botched attempt at pirate-eze…surprisingly NO alcohol was involved.

**Special Thanks to:**

_Lady Sei - In her tireless crusade to get me to stop focusing on homework and concentrate on more important things…like this fic. _(**Lady Sei:** It's about Censored time…)

And thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5

"You four, will wait here till after the first years have been Sorted. Do not wander off." Professor McGonagall ordered sternly. Even though the Americans were trying to radiate innocence, the Deputy Headmistress had dealt with enough students to recognize potential troublemakers - especially when they came in groups of four. Giving the girls one last long look, she herded the final first year stragglers through the large double doors that led into the Great Hall.

"This place is bigger than you led me to believe," Chris griped as the massive doors swung shut.

"It's bigger than I was led to believe," Juline grumbled in reply. "I have no idea how we're going to find this thing before we graduate'. I'm not sure we'd find it in ten years, let alone three. And knowing Albus, he'll want it by Christmas."

"Any idea where to start?" Rini asked as she peered down the seemingly never-ending corridor.

Emily reached into her sleeve and pulled out a familiar looking black ball. She began shaking it, asking, "Where do we begin our search?" She stopped shaking and studied the answer. "The Magic 8-Ball says: How The Hell Should I Know? I'm Just a Cheap Muggle Toy!'"

"At least it's honest," Rini commented, rolling her eyes.

"Of course it is. I charmed it that way." Emily replied.

The other three groaned as the doors opened. Juline looked into the Great Hall and said, "I guess that's our cue."

"And what makes you say that?" Emily asked curiously.

"It could be that everyone's looking at us expectantly." Chris replied sarcastically. "Let's get this over with." Head held high, the LeFaye heir strode through the doorway.

"Oh well. Lights, camera, action…" Juline muttered as she led her sisters down the aisle.

The four witches stopped in front of a stool with an old and battered looking hat sitting on it. Apparently Dumbledore had already introduced them, as McGonagall immediately picked up the hat and waved Rini up to the stool. The youngest Belmont hopped up and the professor placed the Sorting Hat on the tall girl's head. Rini's eyes popped open in surprise for a moment before settling into a puzzled and slightly putout expression as a tear the others had believed to simply be another sign of the hat's age twitched.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The other Americans looked at each other and shrugged as the table along the right wall cheered. Rini stood up, handing the hat to McGonagall who directed her to join her housemates. Chris and Juline glanced at each other, nodded, and pushed Emily towards the stool. The blonde stumbled a bit, shot the older girls a weak death glare, and sat down. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head and, almost immediately yelled, "RAVENCLAW!"

The table on Juline's left burst into applause showing Emily which table to join. Juline and Chris studied each other for a moment then fisted their right hands. Ignoring the curious stares and muttered questions from the students surrounding them, the Americans appeared to pound the air several times before stopping with their fingers in strange positions.

"Scissors cuts paper. Your turn, Chris." Juline smirked.

Chris sighed and took her place on the stool. For a brief moment, nothing happened. The hat seemed to take a deep breath before it yelled out "GRYFFINDOR!" The table to Juline's right went ballistic. Chris slid off the stool with a smile pasted on her face, and a look in her eye that screamed, "What have I gotten myself into?" She grinned as she joined the fifth years, forcing a sandy-haired boy to scoot down so she could sit next to Harry.

Juline sauntered up to the stool amidst the fierce whispering that had started throughout the hall. Even the Slytherin table was taking an interest in this sorting. A minute passed before the hat seemed to collect itself and announced its decision. "SLYTHERIN!" A stunned silence passed over the room for a heartbeat before the Slytherins began reluctantly clapping for their new housemate. The other houses looked at the eldest Belmont like she'd grown an extra head right before their eyes.

As Juline made her way to the Slytherin table she shook her head muttering, "I can feel the love in the room." Glancing toward the fifth years, she spies a familiar platinum blond head. A wicked grin crossed her face, frightening a couple of first years as she passed them. Draco was flanked by his Neanderthal' bodyguards as usual, and Juline tapped the taller of the two on his shoulder. "Do you mind moving over?" Juline asked in an overly sweet voice. He scooted over towards Draco before Juline stopped him. "No. That way." Juline insisted, gesturing away from Malfoy with her thumb. He looked at her, then at Malfoy, then back at Juline and slid over. Juline sat down gracefully and a place setting appeared before her.

"What are you doing?" Draco hissed as the food appeared and Dumbledore announced that they should "tuck in".

"Why Draco, haven't you ever heard the old saying: Keep your friends close and your enemies under constant surveillance'?" Juline asked innocently.

Conversation quieted as the students began eating. As soon as the dessert dishes disappeared, Dumbledore stood once again.

"All students will please note that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden."

Juline noted, with some amusement, that his gaze seemed to linger on the Gryffindor table.

"Mr. Filch, our esteemed caretaker, would like me to remind you all that there is to be no magic in corridors between classes. And I'm pleased to announce that we have two new professors joining us this year. I'm sure many of you remember Oliver Wood; he has graciously taken time off from the world of professional Quidditch to fill in for Madam Hooch."

A tall, trim young man with curly brown hair, stood amid cheers from the student body. He waved at the Gryffindor table, a wide grin on his face, before sitting down again. Dumbledore held up his hands for silence before continuing

"We are most fortunate to have with us this year Dolores Umbridge. She has graciously taken time off from her work at the Ministry to serve as our Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher."

This time the applause was more polite than enthusiastic. Juline, whose warning bells had gone off at the word "Ministry", craned her neck trying to get a look at the rather short woman who had remained standing after her introduction. Based on her posture and the clearing of her throat it seemed she intended to interrupt Dumbledore's speech with one of her own. Whatever Dolores Umbridge lacked in size she made up for in volume. Her _polite_ little _"Hem, hem"_ carried across the Great Hall like a giant's cough. Dumbledore looked surprised for a moment, but than smiled pleasantly and sat down. You could have heard a pin drop in the Great Hall. All activity had completely stopped and everyone's eyes were fixed on the small toad-like woman in the pink cardigan.

_"Hem, hem." _She said again before addressing the students and the staff as if they were a bunch of five year olds. Her voice, Juline decided as Umbridge made little innuendoes about the coming school year, was honey coated venom…heavy on the honey. The eldest Belmont's gazed moved from the toad to Albus, whose own briefly met hers and he gave a slight nod. Juline mentally swore, it all made perfect sense now…shit.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of Umbridge's addition to the Hogwarts faculty, but judging by the looks everyone from Hermione to Snape were shooting her -- it wasn't good. He glanced over at the American sitting next to him and was surprised at the intensity of her stare. If looks could kill, Umbridge would be six feet under. His gaze moved over the rest of the hall seeking out the other newcomers. He could barely see the youngest sitting at the Hufflepuff table behind him. Over Ginny's shoulder he spotted Emily chatting with Cho Chang and several other Ravenclaw fifth and sixth years. On the far side of the room Juline was also glaring at Umbridge from her seat next to Malfoy. Harry wondered why she decided to sit next to that prat. After the confrontation on the train, he was sure none of the Americans would want anything to do with the arrogant pureblood. The sound of clapping caught his attention and he glanced back up to the head table. Dumbledore was applauding enthusiastically as Umbridge gave a little bow and returned to her seat. The other teachers were shooting each other glances as they clapped half-heartedly. Harry wondered what he missed.

"Well." Hermione said thoughtfully. "That was intriguing."

Ron frowned, a bit puzzled, "What are you talking about? That was the dullest speech I've ever heard. And that includes Professor Binns' history classes."

"I wasn't really paying attention, but the teachers seem upset." He leaned closer to Ron and added, "LeFaye was glaring at Umbridge like she was Voldemort himself."

Ron shuddered, "Don't say that name!"

Hermione, Harry, and Ginny rolled their eyes at Ron's extreme reaction.

"A name only has as much power as you give it. Besides, it's a rather stupid name to begin with." Chris piped in. The four friends turned to stare at the American. "What? You shouldn't have mentioned my name if you didn't want me joining the conversation. Anyway Ron, it helps if you make fun of the things that frighten you. It's like the _Riddikulus_ charm: if it makes you laugh it looses its power over you. Personally, I prefer to call him "Moldyshorts". And Juline has been known to call him "Moldyfort" or just "Moldy"."

Harry's eyes widened and Ron's jaw dropped as Hermione and Ginny started giggling.

"Don't you take him seriously?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Of course I take him seriously, he's a major pain in the ass, but the trick is not to take him too seriously." Chris shrugged. "I fear Muggle transportation networks more than I fear him. Respect as an adversary, yes, at least until proven otherwise, but fear? That just means they've won before the battle even begins."

Ginny stopped giggling and seemed to settle into deep thought as Ron gaped in shock. Hermione smiled at the new student and they shared a look of mutual understanding. Harry was quiet for a moment, and then a smile slowly crept over his face. He opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was cut off as the rest of the student body stood and began making their way out of the great hall.

Chris got up and stretched. "I'll see you guys in the dorm later, it looks like Dumbledore wants a word." She turned and walked off towards the head table, dodging Gryffindor and Hufflepuff bodies as she made her way to where the Headmaster stood.

The four Americans stood before Dumbledore and four very diverse looking professors. To his right was Professor McGonagall who had a stern expression on her face. On her right was a cheerful looking woman in well-used work robes who smelled of herbs and freshly turned earth. To Dumbledore's left stood a tall, imposing looking man, with dark hair, pale skin, and a large hooked nose. The sneering expression on his face showed a distinct lack of enthusiasm at the girls' presence. The last figure was a tiny man with a twinkle in his eye and a pleasant expression.

"I would like to officially welcome you girls to Hogwarts and introduce you to the Heads of the Houses you have been sorted into. This is Professor Sprout," he said, indicating the woman on his far right. "She will be teaching you Herbology and is the Head of Hufflepuff. Professor Flitwick, our Charms Master, is the gentleman on my far left. He is the Head of Ravenclaw. I believe you've already met Professor McGonagall. She is the Deputy Headmistress and the Transfiguration teacher as well as the Head of Gryffindor." As he turned to indicate the unpleasant looking man to his left, he shot Juline a subtle smirk. "And this is Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin, and our Potions Master. As per your parents' request, private rooms have been provided in each of the Houses. Your Heads of House have-"

"_Hem, hem_." The sound of a clearing throat once again interrupted the Headmaster's speech. The nauseatingly sweet, simpering voice of Dolores Umbridge floated up from behind Dumbledore. No one had noticed the diminutive woman lurking in the background until she spoke up. Quickly concealed irritation flashed across the faces of the five professors as they turned. The frog-faced woman brushed past Dumbledore and McGonagall and walked up to the wary Americans. "I was so enthused at the prospect of meeting our foreign cousins that I just could not wait until classes tomorrow to welcome you on behalf of The Ministry. I hope your stay in our country is educational. Your parents couldn't have entrusted you to a finer facility and we hope that you will take every opportunity to immerse yourselves in our society, no matter how unconventional it might seem to you. I am sure that _living_ with your housemates will offer you many chances for cultural exchanges."

"No need to worry, Professor Umbridge. The girls will be sharing the common areas with the rest of their houses. However, not only were the private rooms a parental request, but all the girls' dorm rooms are full to capacity. The only way we could accept them was to open new dorm rooms. Had two been sorted into the same house, they would have shared. Besides, their parents were most generous." Dumbledore added with a twinkle in his eye.

Any reply Umbridge would have given was cut off by Juline. "Thank you all for your kind welcome. My friends and I have had a long journey and are still adjusting to the time difference. We want to be fresh for classes in the morning so if you would please excuse us…"

Umbridge looked a bit irritated, but there was nothing she could do. The House Heads led their new charges from the Great Hall almost eagerly. The Americans said good night to each other once outside and went their separate ways, trailing behind the professors.

Juline followed Professor Snape to the stairs leading down to the dungeons as best as she could. His long strides causing her to take two steps for his every one, or risk being left behind. Even so, Snape had to pause before descending the steps to wait for her to catch up. He seemed to be studying her intently as she made her way to his side.

"Do try to keep up, Miss Belmont."

Juline just smiled sweetly while mentally chanting Potions Master… Potions Master… I'm gonna kill you Albus… Potions Master…' She followed the tall, dark, and surly professor down into the depths of the school.

Once at the bottom of the stairs Juline noted the atmospheric lighting scheme of the stone hallway. Snape led her past the only door she could see in the corridor. Juline opened her mouth to ask where he was taking her, but Snape interrupted her before she could draw a breath.

"That door leads to the potions classroom. I hope the American curriculum has not left you too far behind. I don't have time to mollycoddle any student."

"Don't worry Professor. I was the top of my class back in America. I can handle anything _you_ dish out." Juline retorted. I will not fireball the potions master… I will not fireball the potions master… No matter how much of a prick he is I will not fireball the potions master…' she added mentally.

Snape turned and glared, then walked the last few feet to where a large painting hung at the end of the hall. The pompous looking man in the portrait nodded sharply at Snape and asked for a password. A bit curious about what was happening, Juline came closer. She noted a small plaque set in the stone to the side of the painting. Skimming the text she discovered the tights-clad man was none other than Nicholas the Smarmy, a 14th century wizard-baron noted for his impressive wizards chess skills and for even more impressive gloating skills. Nicholas unfortunately gloated once too often when his opponent was the King Tyranisis the Fourth who was known as a poor looser with a short temper.

"This is the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Do not forget the password or you will be spending the night in the hallway. The current password is the trigger to an ancient spell of great destructive power. Fortunately, since the method of casting it has been lost, no careless idiot will accidentally set it off by speaking its name." Without waiting for a reply, Snape turned back to the impatiently glaring Lord Nicholas. "_Dragon Slave._"

Juline hoped Snape thought her reaction was to the painting suddenly swinging open to reveal the archway behind it and not to the password itself. Following her House Head into and across the large room she smirked a little to herself. I wonder what he'd say if I told him I was one of the four people who could pull it off?' Shaking her head to clear it of the pleasant images of using certain people as target practice, Juline looked around the surprisingly cushy common room. The first thing to catch her attention was the massive fireplace that took up most of one wall. Above the mantle was a huge mirror that reflected nearly the entire room. The other walls were lined with bookshelves and tasteful paintings. Scattered around the room were groupings of comfortable looking plush leather chairs. One corner was dominated by a table that could seat eight with plenty of elbow room. Juline noticed her steps no longer echoed on the stone floor and glanced down. Cushioning her feet was possibly the largest oriental carpet she had ever seen.

"If you are quite finished gawking…" Snape trailed off, indicating a stone archway on the far side of the room. Juline moved his name a little higher on her target practice list and followed him through the doorway into yet another hallway, a well lit one this time. "The Headmaster said you may select from the three vacant rooms at the end of the hall." His tones indicated he thought Dumbledore was being a little too accommodating. "I'll leave you to it. Good night."

Once Snape had returned to the common room, Juline didn't hesitate in choosing the room at the end. The man in the portrait seemed interesting. She did a double take. He looked like he had walked off the set of _Pirates of the Caribbean_. She read the plaque next to the frame. "Captain James Morgan. A 16th Century privateer. He sailed the oceans in search of lost spells and magic artifacts." Juline smiled. "I like this guy already."

"So yer the girl Dumbledore sed might be a commin." The old sailor gave her a once over before exclaiming "Why yer nothin' but a wee bit of a lass! Don't see why the ol' salt's got his mainsails in a twist… Well then, never let it be sed Cap'n James Morgan wasna accomidatin to a lady. Alright then lassie, what be yer entry code?"

"Two Piña Coladas" Juline grinned.

It was just about midnight by the time Juline got her living quarters situated more or less to her satisfaction. All she really wanted to do was collapse, but sadly there's no rest for the weary…or the wicked. It was time to get this job started. Digging in her pocket, she fished out her compact and flipped it open.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. I would like to make a call." Juline chanted. The compact mirror wasn't technically on the wall, but for rhyming purposes, it worked. "Conference Chris, Emily, and Rini." The mirror clouded over then began to ring. The clouds cleared away revealing the faces of the other three witches as each one answered. "Well, are you guys ready for me?"

**Ladyknight3: **Next chapter, the girls get down to business and discover just how much fun retaking classes is......Warning! Boredum and Magic DO NOT MIX!!!! Please Review.


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